Defining transition rules for the approval tracking process

You can configure the approval tracking process so that a workflow action is triggered whenever the cumulative state of an approval or review group changes. The workflow for each test artifact type can have different transition rules.

About this task

For example, you can configure test plans to automatically change to the Under Review state when a new approval group is created. If the approval group is rejected, the state of the test plan automatically returns to the Draft state. If the approval group is approved, the artifact automatically moves to the Approved state.

If multiple approval groups of the same type (Approval or Review) exist, all of the approval groups must reach the same state for the workflow action to be triggered. For example, if two approval groups are created and one is approved, no action is triggered. The action is triggered only when the second approval group is approved.

Important: This rule applies only to transitions to the Approved state. If an approval group is rejected, the other approval groups do not need to be completed and the workflow action is triggered immediately. Also, the approval tracking process will stop for that artifact if it has a rejected approval group. The rejected approval group must be archived to resume the approval tracking process.
Tip: You can include the archived approval groups in the IBM® Engineering Test Management Reportable REST GET API, IBM Engineering Test Management OSLC GET API, PDF reports, and JRS reports by using the ETM Process Component > com.ibm.rqm.process.service.internal.ApprovalService > Include Archived Quality Approvals to REST and OSLC APIs, PDF, and JRS Reports advanced server configuration property.

Procedure

  1. Log in as a user who has permission to save project areas. The appropriate permissions are as follows:
    • A user who has permission to save the project area in the process configuration.
    • A user who is an administrator of the project area.
    • A user who has either the JazzProjectAdmins or JazzAdmins repository group permissions.
  2. Click the Administration (Administration) icon in the banner, and then click Manage This Project Area.
  3. In the Project Area editor, click Test Artifacts > Approval Trackings.

    The Test Artifacts - Approval Trackings editor opens.

    Approval trackings

  4. Select one of these test artifact workflows to add the rule to:
    • Test plan workflow
    • Test case workflow
    • Test suite workflow
    • Test case result workflow
    • Test suite result workflow
  5. Add a new rule for an approval or review group:
    1. In either the Approved Groups section or the Review Groups section, click Add.
    2. In the window that opens, select a workflow state, which is the state that the artifact must be in for the rule to apply.
    3. Select an approval state, which is the state of the approval to add the rule to.

      Approval State

    4. Select a workflow action.
      The target workflow state is updated based on your selection. In this example, if the test plan is in the Under Review state, and the Approval state is pending, the rule moves the test plan to the Approved state when a reviewer approves the test plan.

      Approval transition rule

  6. Click OK, and then click Save.
  7. To define more approval tracking rules, repeat the previous steps.

    For instance, in the next example, if the test plan is in the Under Review state, and the Approval state is pending, the rule returns the test plan to the Draft state when a reviewer rejects the test plan.

    Review transition rule